The Daily Grind: Are lifetime subs in MMOs still worth it in 2021?

    
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It costs.

MOP reader Kaz sent us a note over the weekend alerting us that Star Trek Online’s lifetime sub just so happens to be half off right now, $150 instead of $300. (It ends at 3 p.m. EST the day this post goes live, in fact, so consider this a Daily Grind/PSA combo with an expiration date!) Kaz wanted to know whether it’s worth it, and the answer is… it depends.

I don’t play STO, but I can say I’m very glad that I didn’t buy lifetime subs for some of the other games my wealthier guildies did. Fam, I have a guildie who bought a lifetime sub to the original Hellgate: London. Owwww. So my instinct is to say, nah, skip it, save ya coin.

But then I think about LOTRO, where people who bought the lifetime sub way back when have really gotten a tremendous value. Maybe a little too much value, if the theories about SSG’s recent moneygrabs are credible. I regret not buying one back in the day because I know I would’ve played more if I had, and if SSG offered it again (and it won’t), I’d seriously consider it, even at this late a stage in the game’s life. And STO seems a lot more secure than LOTRO, even, so I wouldn’t be all that worried about that. If the Star Trek franchise were my jam, it’d be tempting.

Help me help Kaz out. Are lifetime subs in MMOs still worth it here in 2021? What about the STO lifetime sub specifically? Got any regret? Can you top Hellgate: London? And are there any MMOs you wish had a lifetime sub but don’t?

Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
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